Coldest Winter on Record
by J20TWENTY
Summary: Jump City encounters it's coldest winter since records began. The unusual cold brings new problems to the Titans and the citizens, which Slade seems intent on exploiting. Pairings RobxStar BBxRae not sure though.
1. Chapter 1

Okay this is my first fic for awhile, it starts off slowly but should soon pick up.

It was a cold November day in California. The usual warmth had long ago been replaced with the unusually cold weather. On several occasions it had threatened to snow on the citizens of Jump City but so far it had failed to materialise. The meteorologists had forecasted the cold would continue and would probably worsen as it got closer to the end of the year. The inhabitants of the fair city had at first welcomed the change from the monotonous warm sunny days which drenched the western coast of America, but soon found themselves welcoming any form of sunshine which would dare break the usually grey clouds high above. They had prayed for it to snow during the bleak period, offering them some fun and games to enjoy this weather, but it seemed to them they were out of luck. Maybe being too close to the coast was this time a burden instead of a blessing.

Many people across the city were starting to feel the pinch of this cold weather. Many houses were experiencing larger fuel bills than expected in a vain effort to keep out the freezing weather on their doorstep. Shopkeepers were finding their customers were reluctant to leave the warmth of their houses to walk around the various businesses which desperately needed a change of fortune. Bars and restaurants were recording an all time low in profits, with many recording losses. The economic sector of Jump City was taking a serious blow from the cold weather and many people predicted greater losses on the months to come. Most shops were willing to tough it out to the mad December rush which signalled the arrival of Christmas, others were not so optimistic.

Across the bay stood a large tower on top of a small island. The windows were dark except for one looking out towards the city. This tower was home to the Teen Titans. They had been sworn in to protect the citizens of Jump City at all cost, however the cold weather and sharp decline in the local economy was out of their control. They too were starting to feel the pinch of this barren time. They had found it increasingly difficult to fight crime in this torrid cold weather.

Perhaps feeling the worst off was Starfire. For a being that needed the sun to help her fight and maintain her high spirits, to be under the constant cloudy weather was starting to take its toll. She was still jovial and took her duties seriously, but even she couldn't shake off the desperation for warm weather.

Beast Boy had similar problems though they were not as obvious as Starfire's. His keen animal instincts and traits were sensitive to even the smallest change in his natural surroundings. The extreme cold had taken its toll but he was still the same Beast Boy.

Robin hadn't been as effected as the previous two Titans, living in Gotham meant he was used to the cold winters. However, after slowly acclimatised to the Californian sunshine the winter was worse than he had imagined. However the disheartening weather had not effected his duties one iota, he still remained as vigilant as ever.

Cyborg wasn't too fussed about the weather, he enjoyed the cold sometimes. The continuous sunshine of Jump City often meant he hoped for the occasional change, but this sudden downturn was maybe a little too extreme for him.

Raven wasn't fussed at all about the weather. Often she was thinking about far more pressing matters than the cold bitter weather outside the safety of her room. She had, however, noticed the change in 

her friends once this wave had overtaken Jump City and the surrounding areas. Even thought the changes were small and barely noticeable she had still found them slightly disconcerting. It had once crossed her mind that this could be some kind spell, but no mage on Earth was powerful enough and she would have detected the aura surrounding the weather change. Her answer was to tough it out within the confines of her room until the tower had returned to some kind of normality, even though the very idea was absurd in itself.

Robin was alone in the common room of the tower, eagerly awaiting the news to come onto the television. He wasn't usually this desperate to watch the news, but recent events had gripped the entire city.

"So David, what do you predict for the immediate future for Jump City?" the anchorman asked his colleague.

"Well...if the trend continues like this then households will feel the squeeze even more. It was reported today that the oil and gas prices had risen slightly due to increased demand" the economic correspondence answered.

"So many people are tightening their belts, money-wise?" asked the anchorman.

"That's right John, we are seeing a sharp decline in the spending power of citizens in Jump City. This in turn has taken a drastic toll on the small businesses across the city" David answered.

"How are the businesses faring?" John questioned him.

"Not too well I'm afraid. Even after these couple of months the economic sector has taken a real battering. Hopefully with the imminent arrival of Christmas it can pick up, but harsh times are ahead for the moment" he replied.

"How can the citizens of Jump City help combat this sudden downturn?"

"I advise them to cut down on unnecessary spending, keep buying the essential foods and clothing, and try to build up funds for the rising fuel prices which may sharply incline" the grim correspondent told him.

"Well thank you David, now let's talk with Sandra, our weather girl. How is it looking?" he asked as he turned to his female co-worker. The pretty brunette was stood in front of a large map of the immediate area of Jump City.

"Not too good I'm afraid, it looks it like the cold front is not going anywhere for the time being..." she answered.

Robin had heard enough already. He picked up the remote and flicked the television off and stood up. Sighing to himself he got up off the couch and excited the room, thinking to himself that a bit of training may be good at the moment. _Its going to be a long winter_, he thought.

Across the city in an under ground room, a lone man was watching the same broadcast the dark. His orange and black mask flickered from the light of the television before him.

"...and as you can see this cold front will be with us for quite some time. If you do manage to go out this week do wrap up warmly and keep safe"

The man turned the television off. The cold weather had taken its toll on everyone, but not him. In the darkness of his room he had only one thought.

_This is perfect._

A boring first chapter but I am trying to build up a big storyline here. Sorry about focussing on the economy and weather but it is integral to my story. It's not as boring as you are probably thinking.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the second chapter of my fic. This story is going to take quite some time to get going so please bear with me.

Robin sat alone at the kitchen table, contemplating what to do today if it was a quiet day once again. '_Maybe I can get the others to do some training', _he thought, that would be a mission in itself. The Titans were committed to the cause but they were still young and loved their time off. He sighed to himself; maybe he could do some training if the day carried on quietly.

He glanced out the window that overlooked the bay. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon far out to sea, the early morning fog threatened to cover everything near the coast. The grey clouds were already beginning to form signalling another dreary day. He looked back down at the steaming hot cup of coffee nestled between his hands. It wasn't very cold in the tower; Cyborg had installed an energy efficient heating system to cut down costs. He took a small sip of the dark beverage and sighed again. The weather was affecting him slightly, he longed to go out and _do _something, anything. His head snapped up as he heard the swish of the automatic doors opening and watched on as a green teenager sleepily trudged through the doorway.

"Morning Beast Boy" he said curtly. He smirked as Beast Boy gave him a tired nod while mumbling a greeting in return. _'Definitely not a morning person'_ he smiled to himself. He gazed on as Beast Boy quickly assembled a bowl of cereal and sat down opposite Robin. After a couple of bites he looked up at this leader.

"Hey dude, what's the plan for today?" he asked him.

"Not sure, might do some training if I can get you all to join me" shrugging as he told the green Titan, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Heh, might join you" came the reply. Robin looked up from his coffee at the reply. _'I wasn't expecting that!'_ he thought.

"Great, it's been pretty quiet lately and I'm sure we need some practice" he informed Beast Boy.

"Yeah, and I need to burn off some excess energy" he told Robin. Being borderline hyperactive due to his animal traits he needed some forms of exercise.

"God knows that the truth. Maybe you will be too tired to bother me" came the reply from behind him. Beast Boy turned around to see his team mate Raven float effortlessly into the room. She breezed past him to the stove and set about making her tea for the morning. She turned on the stove and began to pour water into the kettle.

"Yeah, if I don't burn off some of these calories I might get as chunky as you Rae" he told her grinning. He looked over at Robin to see him hold in a laugh, it wasn't often Beast Boy managed to get the upper hand in an argument with anyone, let alone Raven. Beast Boy began to chuckle to himself at the small victory he had achieved. He couldn't see her face darken as she stood over the sink. _'Relax Raven, he is just trying to get a rise from you' _she told herself.

She wordlessly filled the kettle and set it on the stove, never turning around to look at her teammates, especially Beast Boy. If she saw his smug smile on his face she would have to throttle him there and then.

"What are the plans for today then?" she questioned them as she brought the kettle to a boil.

"Probably just do some training if it's quiet" Robin told her. She nodded to herself and grabbed a cup from the cupboard and set it down on the counter.

"So I take it everyone has to join?" she asked the Boy Wonder.

"No, it's optional but I wouldn't mind if everyone agreed to it" he replied.

"Maybe" she told him as she began to drain the tea leaves from the kettle. She poured the dark brown substance into the cup and once again floated past her teammates out of the room.

"See ya Rae!" shouted Beast Boy.

"Raven" came the reply as she quietly left the room. The two Titans shared a quiet laugh about it once they were sure Raven was out of earshot.

"You know you shouldn't annoy her like that" said Robin.

"I know, but it's so funny, and I won an argument for once!" he cried, still chuckling.

"I guess. Anyway, when do you want to train?" Robin asked him. He got a shrug in reply as Beast Boy greedily wolfed down the rest of his cereal.

"Whenever dude" he told him. Robin merely nodded in reply at the green changeling. Finishing his coffee in one last gulp, he got up and put the cup in the sink.

"I'll call later then" Robin told him as he left for his room. Beast Boy nodded and poured himself some more cereal into his bowl. Grabbing the soy milk from out of the fridge he settled himself down at the table to eat his second bowl of cereal for breakfast. _'I am starving'_ he thought to himself as he tucked into the mammoth bowl of cereal for the second time. Looking up he could see Cyborg enter the room with laughing to himself.

"Dude, what's so funny?" he asked him.

Starfire was busily preparing herself in her room for the new day. She looked into her mirror as she brushed her long red hair, glancing at her features. She wasn't an overly vain type of person, but she liked to look good at the mornings. Lately she had found herself looking into the mirror more often due to the presence of a certain young man. She had always thought she was pretty, at least that's what everyone had told her, but for a while now she had been putting in extra effort in the mornings. Making sure her hair was combed perfectly and the little makeup she did wear was done correctly. She had Raven to thank for the makeup part. She smiled at the memory of the usual stoic Raven lecturing her about how to apply her makeup when Starfire had first decided to wear it.

Glancing one last time at the mirror she checked herself for anything that might have been amiss but found nothing. She opened her door and stepped out into the hallway on her way to the kitchen for some breakfast. As she walked she could hear the unmistakable sound of metal footsteps making their way down the hallway. Halting for a second, she waited for the metallic member of her team to catch up with her.

Cyborg rounded the corner of the hallway to see Starfire smiling at him, waiting patiently at the end of the room. He smiled back and gave a little wave to her as he approached.

"Moring Star" he said as he reached her.

"Good morning Cyborg, how was your night?" she asked politely.

"Same old Star, you?" he replied.

"Oh it was wonderful, I had the most amazing dream that I was in a lovely warm summer" she told him while she beamed at the memory. Cyborg chuckled slightly in response.

"Then you woke up to this horrid weather" he told her, still chuckling. Starfire giggled at his reply.

"Yes, this weather can be very down heartening" she said. Cyborg smiled and politely beckoned for Starfire to walk with him down to the kitchen.

"So what's your plan?" he asked her as they walked down the corridor.

"I am not sure, I will probably do some cooking today" she told him. Cyborg smiled politely at the young alien. _'Oh god, what's it this time?' _he thought.

"Sounds good" he replied with a fake smile plastered across his face.

"Good, then you shall partake?" she asked him. Cyborg was now put in a difficult position, should he eat the food and play Russian roulette or hurt his friend's feelings.

"RAVEN!" he shouted as he saw the dark Titan walk past the corner. The psychic almost dropped her cup of tea at the exuberant greeting from her metallic friend.

"Cyborg! You're as bad as Beast Boy!" she growled at him as she floated past. They watched her as she travelled down the corridor to the confines of her room.

"Hmm...I wonder what Beast Boy has already done?" Starfire asked Cyborg. Cyborg shrugged in reply and chuckled a bit.

"Dunno, let's go find out" he told her. They carried on to the kitchen, as they reached the door it opened to reveal their leader walking out.

"Hey guys" he said as they approached.

"Hey Rob"

"Good morning Robin"

"Did Raven pass you earlier?" he asked them. The two Titans nodded in reply.

"Yeah, she wasn't too happy" Cyborg told him.

"She mentioned Beast Boy, did he do something wrong?" she asked him.

"Yeah, he beat her in an argument" he replied, smiling slightly. Even though Robin liked to keep tensions at a low between the members, sometimes he enjoyed the banter between them.

"Wow, the little grass stain won an argument" smiled Cyborg. He knew Robin wouldn't tell them what it was about so he would have to get it from the horses' mouth.

"Anyway", Cyborg continued "Starfire is doing some cooking and she needs some help, I'm sure you will be willing to try it"

Robin looked at his metallic friend. It was pretty common knowledge that Robin would help out Starfire with anything, even he admitted it. His reasoning was it was his duty as team leader to help her adjust to Earth's customs. Even though trying her cooking didn't fall under this category in an obvious way, he was still going to help her. _'Every leader has to make sacrifices' _he told himself. He looked at Starfie's expectant face and smiled at her.

"Sure, I'll help you Star, I just need to run some errands quickly" he told her smoothly. From after the many years of living with Bruce he learned how mask and control his emotions pretty well, but not a patch on Batman however.

"Oh wonderful Robin, I shall call you when I am ready to cook!" she squealed in delight. Starfire knew that Cyborg was just passing the buck onto Robin. Even though she was still learning many of Earth's customs and attitudes she wasn't an idiot. She was appreciative of Cyborg's attempts at not hurting her feelings, and she knew he would have tried it anyway if it she has asked again. She just wished her friends would be a little more honest with her from time to time. _'I maybe new to this planet but I am not a child'_ she had often thought to herself.

"That's great Star" Robin told her. In all honesty he didn't have any errands to do, he just needed time to steel himself for the upcoming torment he was about to receive.

"Hey Star, you look really good today, have you tried anything different with your hair?" Cyborg suddenly asked her. Robin glanced at him, unsure what he was doing. Whatever it was Robin felt he was going to like what direction this conversation was headed.

"Why yes Cyborg! I have tried a new shampoo and conditioner! Thank you for noticing!" she said happily. She wasn't vain, but she did like to receive compliments from time to time.

"I can tell...Robin what do you think? Doesn't she look good?" Cyborg asked him. Robin could have punched him there and then. _'Damn him'_ he growled in his mind. He could see the metallic teen smirk at him, expecting his answer. He looked at Starfire's expectant face with trepidation; he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one.

"Uh...yeah you look pretty" Robin said. _'Damn it! Pretty! Why did I say that! I could have just said she looked good like Cyborg did!'_

Starfire blushed from Robin's comments. She smiled softly and looked at her feet, feeling slightly giddy after receiving such a remark from their usually reserved leader.

"Why thank you Robin" she said shyly. It seems all her efforts to look good in the morning had finally paid off.

"Uh...no problem" mumbled Robin. The usually brave leader was now acting like a little kid as he struggled for words. He successfully managed to keep the blush from rising and embarrassing him even further.

He had noticed Starfire's appearance ever since she had taken the obvious extra effort in the mornings. He was, after all, a teenage boy. He did know that he liked Starfire as a good friend and she was attractive, very attractive actually, but he was still unsure of anything arising between them. He had learned enough from Bruce that relationships rarely went without a hitch, especially in their profession. Even so, if they weren't in the crime fighting game he wasn't sure he would attempt a relationship with Starfire. He had his feelings to sort out on the matter, and something always deep down stopped him from thinking too extensively on the matter.

"Well, it's time for breakfast, I will leave you two alone" he said with laugh as he walked into the main room. After the door had closed with a soft hiss it was silent in the corridor as both teens struggled to say anything.

"So...uh...when do want to cook?" Robin asked her. Starfire glanced up at him and shrugged.

"How about at midday?" she asked him.

"Sure, sounds good" he told her. He was beginning to recover from the earlier embarrassment enough to engage in a proper conversation. Starfire smiled in return and proceeded to walk to the main room.

Suddenly the corridor was bathed in red flashing lights and an alarm blaring down the hallway. The two teens looked at each other in almost surprise; it had been extremely quiet for awhile now.

The door opened to reveal Beast Boy and Cyborg looking almost pensive, the quiet days had surely taken its toll on them.

"Okay, let's go down the T-Car, we can find out what's happening while we get going!" Robin shouted. The alarm had set off a huge adrenaline rush he hadn't experienced for some time now, and his leadership abilities had suddenly kicked in.

"Beast Boy, go and get Raven quickly!" he told the green teen.

"I'm here" came the reply from behind him. He spun around to Raven standing expectantly behind him with her arms crossed.

"Okay Titans, let's go!"

Ok that was the second chapter I hope it was good, I would like to hear any criticism you have of it.


	3. Chapter 3

This is chapter 3, leave any comments please, I accept criticism.

Disclaimer – I don't own the Teen Titans

* * *

The shrill bank alarm echoed down the street in the early morning cold. The shattered glass that covered the pavement outside sparkled brightly in contrast to grey clouds above. Inside the occasional scream of a frightened child could be dimly heard above the deafening alarm.

"Fill the bag, now!" screamed a masked man. Inside were a group of three balaclava wearing men who stood tall over the frightened citizens which cowered in fear on the floor. The terrified cashier behind the glass quickly nodded as she accepted the bag from the armed man. The two other men held their guns up pointing at any person who dared to make eye contact with the three assailants.

"Quickly!" the man shouted at the cashier. Terrified, she hurriedly emptied the tills of their money and stuffed them into the brown burlap sack. In her haste she dropped some money onto the floor and quickly kneeled down to scoop it up.

"Faster!" he screamed at her. Her basic motor skills were hindered by her fear as she threw the remaining notes into the bag. She shakily handed the man the bag over the disguised man. Snatching the bag off the terrified woman he turned to his comrades.

"Let's go!" he cried. The three men took off quickly to the entrance of the bank and ran through the shattered openings where the windows once stood.

"Going somewhere?" they heard a voice. Quickly turning to their right they saw five teenagers waiting for them in the street. The owner of the voice stood firm in front of his motley crew of assembled superheroes.

The three men raised their guns into the air to fire at the Titans, but before they had a chance they were ripped out of their hands by a black light which appeared around their weapons. As they saw their guns fly across the pavement they heard a deafening roar. They just managed to look up at as one of the men was pinned down by a savage green tiger. Ignoring their stricken companion they fled to the white van waiting for their escape.

"Starfire!" shouted Robin. Knowing what he meant she fired a starbolt at the van, destroying one of the wheels. Stopping suddenly before their useless getaway vehicle the men turned tail and ran the other direction onto the cornered off street.

Robin threw a bird-a-rang at the of the men's feet as he ran. Tripping up he quickly turned onto his back to see the leader run at him. With a jump into the air Robin landed heavily on the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Groaning with agony the man curled up into a ball while he lay on his side.

Meanwhile Cyborg had fired a shot from his cannon in the directions of the fleeing assailant with the bag of money. Not intending to hit him he aimed at the fire hydrant, he connected with his target with perfect timing. The sudden explosion of water knocked the man off his feet. The bag had split and thousands of dollars flew in the breeze around the man in a taunting fashion. Grabbing in vain at the floating bills swirling around him he didn't notice a teen fly solidly into his back, knocking him to the ground. Spinning around he saw the Titan known as Starfire floating gently above her, her eyes and hands lowing green with energy. Deciding to give up he held his hands up in a sign of surrender, hoping to appease the angered superhero above him. Upon hearing the sirens gradually getting louder in the distance Starfire relented a little and floated back down the ground, her hands and eyes still glowing.

The police had finally arrived and took the three men into custody, while others attempted to collect the floating dollar bills around the street.

"Not bad, we did well Titans" Robin congratulated them.

"Dude we're so bad they should lock us up!" said Beast Boy, giving a little victory dance. They all gave a collective groan at the behaviour of their teammate.

"Excuse me Titans" came a voice from behind them. They turned around to see the Chief of Police standing expectantly behind them.

"What can we do for you Chief Bates?" asked Robin politely.

"Quite a mess here, don't you think?" came the reply.

Robin could feel his heckles rising. The Teen Titans had a very special relationship with the Jump City Police Department. They effectively worked with each other which were uncommon through out the hero business. The Titans were supported and paid for by the Jump City Council and were answerable to the Mayor. They were not vigilantes like Robin's former mentor, Batman, and would need to play by the rules in an effort to stay in the good graces of the Mayor.

"We're sorry for the damage" he replied.

"Sorry won't pay for the repairs" came Chief Bates answer.

"I know, we apologise again" Robin told him. He intentionally kept his answers short and polite. The Chief of police had never agreed to the Titans in the first place, and Robin didn't want to give him any ammunition.

"I see"

Chief of Police Simon Bates didn't rise through the ranks without being intelligent. At 53 years old he had seen almost everything the criminal world had to offer. He used his experience and intelligence to obtain the prestigious role which granted him respect within the police force. However, since the arrival of the Titans a little over three years ago he could see his grasp slowly slacken over his district.

With a curtly nod to the younger teen Chief Bates turned and headed to the ranks of police officers surrounding the bank in an effort to calm the hysterical citizens force to suffer during the ordeal.

Robin turned to his own companions, slightly put off by the exchange of words between and motioned for them to follow him.

"Come on Titans, let's head back to the Tower"

The Titans were sat about the couch in the common room of their Tower. They watched the news for the coverage they would have on the bank robbery.

"I was like, so terrified, the men had, like guns and they were shooting the ceiling and stuff" said a girl about 13 years old. One of the many people in the bank which had been interviewed, they had all said the same thing.

"Come on, get to the good stuff!" shouted Cyborg at the television.

"What good stuff?" asked Robin.

"Us! What do you think?" he asked his leader. Fighting down a smirk Robin turned back towards the screen as a grainy video showed Beast Boy pinning down one of the men in his tiger form.

"Oh yeah, I'm so cool!" cried Beast Boy. The image shakily panned to a scene of Starfire floating above one of the criminals with her hands glowing green.

"Whoo! You go Starfire!" said Beast Boy, holding his hand up Starfire. Understanding the gesture Starfire enthusiastically slapped Beast Boy's open palm. Raven smirked a little as she picked up Beast Boy's mental wince at the force in which his hand was struck.

"Aw what? Where's Cyborg?" Cyborg asked. As much as he liked fighting crime he loved seeing himself on the television.

"You don't have movie star good looks like me and Star!" Beast Boy told him, laughing at his own joke.

"I don't know what to correct first, the grammar or content" Raven told him dryly. Beast Boy turned to her with a bit of a glare. They had a minor staring contest which lasted only a couple of seconds, one which Raven won again. He turned away to look at television again while Raven had a small smirk. The 

battles she won over Beast Boy, and they were numerous, were one of the things she could feel a little smug about.

The screen cut to a well dressed man standing in front the City Hall. The man was about 50 years old with grey hair and a few wrinkles; he spoke with an air of authority as he addressed the reporters. He stood at a podium with and talked into an array of microphones. The Mayor was illuminated with illuminated with the flashes from the numerous cameras in the audience.

"Mayor Johnson, did you see the Teen Titans earlier today?" asked one reporter.

"No but I managed to get a report from Chief of Police Bates, it appears the Titans did very well" he commentated.

"Have the men been formally charged?" asked another reporter.

"Yes, Chief Bates assured me that the men had been formally charged and have been detained at the Jump City Correction Facility until their trial" he told them.

"Mayor Johnson, how much damage has been caused by the altercation today?" asked another reporter.

"Hardly any, the bank's insurance covers all the damage done to the property while the street level suffered little if any" he replied.

"Dude, didn't Cy blow up a fire hydrant?" asked Beast Boy to no-one in particular. Robin nodded in agreement and then shrugged.

"I can't imagine a fire hydrant costing too much damage anyway" he told the green changeling.

They turned back to see the Mayor on screen answering various questions thrown at him from the eager reporters. The Titans weren't the topic of discussion lately in the news; the average voter had more problems and concerns of late. The economy had taken full interest as well as the impending Mayor election due in next week.

"Mayor Johnson, do you have any fears ahead of next week's election?" asked another reporter.

"No I am not worried, the voters of Jump City have always voted intelligently and I am sure they will see fit for me to continue my post" he replied to them.

"What about Councillor Hardy? She has been openly critical of some of your policies as of late, and she has struck a chord with some of the voters" questioned one of them.

"Yes, she is entitled to her own opinion as I have always said. However, I feel her opinions are unjustified and the voters will see that come election day" he replied smoothly. After years of being neck deep in political intrigue and manoeuvring he had heard every question ever asked from a reporter.

"What about her criticism that your popularity has only been founded on your creation of the Teen titans?" came a question from the crowd of reporters.

The Teen Titans eagerly awaited the answer from the Mayor. They never appreciated being involved in any political debate whatsoever. They were seen as the heroes of Jump City as that is how they wanted it, and they despised being used as pawns in any political debate.

"Yes I founded the Teen Titans," he proclaimed proudly "And they have never let the citizens of Jump City down before"

Robin felt a little angry at the Mayor's proclamation that he had founded the Teen Titans. The team had been assembled by Raven and himself and slowly grew with the inclusions of Cyborg, Beast Boy and then Starfire. The Mayor had merely agreed to fund the Titans, something in which they needed. They needed the authority to fight crime within the city and the Mayors funding to keep going. He had once asked Bruce to help him but the man had told him no. Any connections between Robin and Bruce Wayne had to be kept to a minimum, even under the guise of supporting a noble cause such as funding a band of superheroes.

The interview had finished on screen and the anchorman was listing the sports events in the city. They watched with vague interest as various sports results were displayed on screen.

"And now the weather"

Robin turned the screen off with the mention of the weather; he didn't need anyone to tell them that it was freezing outside. The glass had a hint of frost covering the edges of the window pane and the biting wind shook the windows.

"So guys, what should we do?" asked Robin.

"How 'bout pizza?" Beast Boy questioned them.

"Sure B.B" agreed Cyborg.

"Yes!" Starfire added enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sounds good" said Robin. They all looked expectantly at Raven who just shrugged.

"That's a yes" claimed Beast Boy chuckling.

"Okay Titans, let's get some food" said Robin.

Councillor Sarah Hardy sat at her expensive oak desk in her spacious office. She leaned back in her leather chair while she contemplated her next move. The election was only a week away and she needed to gather more support for her campaign. According to the latest polls Mayor Johnson was some distance away from her in public opinion, and she had only seven days to change that. However, what she lacked in public support she gained in powerful friends. One such friend was the Head of Public Finances which covered such ground as expenditure and taxes. He was a powerful ally to have during this election race. What was even more important was the fact that the Mayor didn't know of their friendship. She needed to use that to her advantage somehow, and she had only a week to do so.

She heard her secretary buzz her from the other room; pressing the button she questioned the intrusion.

"Yes Anne?" she asked her.

"Chief of Police is here to see you, Councillor Hardy" she curtly told her boss.

"Excellent, Anne. Send him in please" she told her.

"Yes Councillor Hardy"

A couple of seconds later the door to her office opened to reveal the Chief of Police. He gave a polite nod towards the Councillor as he entered the room.

"Welcome, Chief Bates. Please take a seat" she motioned towards the expensive leather chair opposite her desk.

"Thank you" he said as he sat down, "You requested a meeting?" he asked her.

Chief Bates had much experience with dealing with the bureaucracy that came with the job, and he well aware of the up coming election. He had a feeling what she was intending with this meeting so he had to tread carefully. He looked at the 38 year old Councillor as he awaited her angle.

"Yes Chief Bates and I am glad you took the time out to see me" she smiled politely at him.

"It's quite all right" he told her.

"So how is your department running? All is well I assume?" she asked him. She knew from her friend in the Public Finances that the department was going down the drain. This she was going to use to her advantage.

"It's doing its purpose" he told her. He knew that she had something up her sleeve and he would have to tough it out to see what she was after.

"Of course, from what I can see the crime rate has been going down steadily" she agreed. They both knew the obvious lie behind this. The crime rate was low because of the impact of the Titans over the last three years. She also knew the Chief of Police resented them for it.

"True" he told her.

"It's a shame that the Titans get all the credit though" she said off hand.

'_Ah, so this is her game'_ he thought. He was well aware of his reputation amongst his superiors in civil sector of the public.

"Councillor Hardy..." he started.

"Please call me Sarah" she told him.

"Councillor Hardy" he continued, ignoring her request "We are quite busy people, so perhaps we can stop skirting around the issue" he told her firmly. It was an open challenge to her and a chance to see what she was made of. Smirking slightly she nodded in response.

"As you know I am running for the Mayoral Election next week and I need support" she told him. Nodding, he motioned her to continue.

"I am quite behind in the polls and I need the support of influential members of the Public sector in order to win" she told him flatly.

"Sure, but the Mayor's popularity is quite evident, as the opinion polls say. How could I help you in such a short time?" he asked her.

She smiled at him and offered him a glass. Opening the canter of brandy she poured him a drink.

"Let me explain" she told him.

* * *

It appears everyone is scheming here. In the next chapter Slade will finally make a proper appearance. Tell me what you think of it. Sadly I think it's boring but I am trying to build a large story. Of course, criticism is most welcome.


End file.
